REV Publications

REV Publications

2011

June 29, 2011The Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) is revitalizing the statewide Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP). The plan addresses all aspects of Vermont’s energy future for electricity, thermal energy (related to heating and industrial processes), and transportation. REV has released our preliminary comments on the CEP which are available to read HERE. The final CEP is scheduled for release in October 2011. The DPS will be taking stakeholder comments until then. Click HERE for a link to the DPS website.

The Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) has released the attached sorted list of the eligible applications which have received reservations for VT Business Solar Tax Credit Certifications in the first and second rounds, as well as those now in the waiting queue. Even though all $500,000 reserved for the second round was awarded tax credit reservations, applications will be accepted until December 15th 2010. Applications received from this point forward will be placed in the waiting queue. If additional funds are appropriated for the tax credit it is the CEDF’s intent to award additional tax credits, in order, to projects in the waiting queue. Please contact Andrew Perchlik with any questions. Andrew Perchlik Clean Energy Development Fund andrew.perchlik@state.vt.us 802-828-4017

October 19, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEC to Host Open House and Give Tours of Coventry Landfill Gas Generating Plant Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) will be giving tours of its landfill gas generating facility in Coventry VT on Thursday, November 4th, between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. WEC members, Coventry area residents and anyone with an interest in electric generation and renewable energy is invited to attend the Open House. WEC’s generating plant is located at the state’s largest landfill, which is owned and operated by NEWSVT, a Casella Waste Systems company. The landfill entrance is on Airport Rd. in Coventry. Because general access to the facility is usually restricted, WEC has been hosting an open house and offering tours annually since the plant began operating in 2005. Washington Electric Co-op began operating the plant in 2005 and expanded its generating capacity in 2007 and 2009. The plant now has a capacity of 8 megawatts, and it supplies two-thirds of all the electricity used by WEC’s 10,000 member households and businesses. The power from the plant more than replaced Vermont’s contract for Vermont Yankee nuclear power, which expired in 2002, and is expected to be a source of economic, stably priced power for many years into the future. A short video tour is also available on WEC’s website: www.washingtonelectric.coop No reservations are needed to attend the Open House. However, schools or other groups are requested to contact WEC General Manager Avram Patt to schedule a time during the Open House hours. Founded in 1939, Washington Electric Co-op is a consumer-owned utility serving over 10,000 member households and businesses in 41 towns in Orange, Washington and Caledonia Counties. ### Contact: PO Box 8, VT Rte. 14N East Montpelier, VT 05651 office (M-F 7:30 AM- 4:00 PM): 802-223-5245 direct line: 802-223-6705 ext. 312 www.washingtonelectric.coop

October 10, 2010 Select Design Goes Solar! (pdf 127 kb)
40 KW SOLAR ARRAY INSTALLED AT SELECT DESIGN Encore Redevelopment and PV Solar Associates, both of Burlington, have developed, designed and installed a 40 kW net-­metered roof mounted solar array for Select Design at their Flynn Avenue facilities in Burlington. The array is located on the saw-tooth roof of the northern side of the building, hosting ideal south sloping roof space. The installation consists of 180 Trina panels and will be owned and operated by Select Design. The expected output for the system is ~43,000 kWh which is enough electricity to supply 11% of their average annual electrical consumption. The Select Design installation is Burlington’s largest PV array, and Burlington Electric Department’s installed capacity of solar PV will more than double when the system goes live on October 5th. Encore Redevelopment offers turnkey project development services and third party financing options for businesses, communities and non-­profit organizations interested in investments in renewable energy as a means of providing long term energy cost stability. Please contact Chad Farrell of Encore Redevelopment at 802-­861-3023 or chad@encoreredevelopment.com for more information.

September 15, 2010
Renewable Energy Vermont’s Response to the Department of Public Service’s Motion and Memorandum RE: Representations Regarding Renewable Attributes (pdf 22 kb)
On August 19, 2010, the Department of Public Service (“DPS” or “Department”) filed a memorandum with the Public Service Board (“PSB” or “Board”) requesting the Board to adopt a “double counting” condition that would apply to all projects participating in the SPEED Standard Offer program. The Department acknowledged that it had urged the Board to include this condition in several individual proceedings where projects being developed under the Standard Offer program were seeking Certificates of Public Good to construct and operate those projects. The Board has not yet adopted the condition in these individual proceedings, and encouraged DPS to pursue the issue in the above-captioned docket. After receiving the Department’s motion, the Board issued a memorandum seeking comments on the motion and responses to several specific Board questions. Renewable Energy Vermont (“REV”) is a party to the Standard Offer dockets, and respectfully requests that the Board deny DPS’s motion. In response to the Department’s motion and supporting memorandum, and to the Board’s questions, REV offers the following comments.

September 2, 2010
REV Op-Ed: Biofuels Are Part of the Solution (pdf 40 kb)
The federal government’s insistence that we “break our addiction to foreign oil” is in conflict with itself. On the one hand, Congress has instituted a renewable fuel standard that mandates increased production and use of biofuels through 2022 (with an emphasis on “advanced” biofuel, from crop residues and algae). At the same time, Congress has failed to reinstate an expired tax credit to this industry that once drove domestic biodiesel production (and now is the leading cause of plant closures nationwide). And for that segment of the public that is critical of government incentives, consider this: Global incentives for the petroleum industry and fossil fuels hit $557 billion in 2008, vs. only about $46 billion for renewable sources of power.

August 26, 2010
CEDF: Application for 2nd Round VT Business Solar Tax Credit; Sub-150kW Projects Only (pdf 127 kb) As announced August 23, 2010, here are the application and instructions for the second round of the VT Business Solar Tax Credit Program. This round is reserved for solar thermal projects and photovoltaic projects of no more than 150kW. The Clean Energy Development Board has set aside $500,000 for this second round. Applications will be accepted until October 15, 2010, at which time reservations for the $500,000 will be awarded.

July 4, 2010
Energy Independence: ‘Seize the Moment’ (pdf 59 kb)
Congress, this is your moment. There’s oil hemorrhaging into the Gulf of Mexico, poisoning and freezing water fowl, smothering the fishing and tourism industries, and oozing toward Atlantic seacoast beaches. A Facebook page called Boycott BP had nearly 800,000 fans as of last week; PBS is running a continual “clock” ticking off the gallons leaking by the second; and live video feeds of the leak are hotter than “American Idol.” This is the moment when, as a nation, we are collectively appalled at the risks posed by fossil fuels and demanding clean, sustainable sources of power and increased energy efficiency.

June 5, 2010
Time to Move to Renewables (pdf 37 kb)
Regarding Anders Holm’s letter (June 1), this is the perfect time to discuss Vermont’s energy future, with the current debate about the fate of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in Vernon adding some urgency to our thinking on this front. There is work under way across the state — and the nation — to first reduce our energy demand overall through efficiency, and to shift the power we do need off traditional fossil fuels and onto sustainable, locally produced sources wherever possible. No single source of renewable energy will serve as a quick fix; Vermont needs to continue to build its portfolio of wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, biomass and biofuels to ensure we have the truly sustainable energy available to meet our needs.

April 21, 2010
$5.5 Million Available for Small-Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program (pdf 60 kb)
The CEDF Board announced today that the CEDF has made available $5.5 million to support the installation of solar and small wind projects on homes and businesses across Vermont. The funds are part of the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s State Energy Program funds provided by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The $5.5 million will allow Vermont to continue the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Incentive Program that was first established in 2003. The program ran out of state funding in 2009. The newly funded and expanded program will begin to take incentive reservations tomorrow on April 22 — Earth Day.

March 31, 2010
The Renewable Energy Bill | H.781Overview and Summary (pdf 43 kb)
Vermont state policy encourages renewable electric energy. It is good for our economy and for our energy future, and 98% of Vermonters would like to see more of it. The Renewable Energy Bill is a package of action that builds on last year’s major effort and continues to move us forward. The bill has provisions helping farmers, the Vermont Air National Guard, large employers like IBM, and the long-term interests of all electric ratepayers. It creates government efficiencies, simplifies renewable generation procedures, and tailors some current incentives.

March 25, 2010
2010 Distributed Generation Conference Agenda (pdf 127 kb)
The Fourth Annual Distributed Generation Conference hosted by Renewable Energy Vermont will continue its focus on the role that local distributed generation projects will play in meeting the clean energy mandate. See the complete agenda.

March 16, 2010
REV Announces New Executive Director (pdf 44 kb)
After an extensive search, REV is pleased to announce the hiring of longtime journalist Susan Allen as executive director. Allen is well known in Vermont, having served as press secretary to Gov. Howard Dean for six years and as host of the live television program Call the Governor with Gov. James Douglas on Vermont Public Television. We are thrilled to have Sue join us at this critical period for the growth of renewable energy in Vermont. Her reputation, connections and commitment to Vermont’s sustainable future will be invaluable as we transition to a renewable-energy-based economy. Sue is slated to begin on April 1.

March 14, 2010
VT Net-Metered Power 2009 (pdf 127 kb)
A map of net-metered power from photovoltaic and wind sources in towns across Vermont in 2009. Source: Stone Environmental Inc.

2009

August 1, 2009
Repowering Vermont (pdf 127 kb)
The choice to repower Vermont with local renewable energy resources or commit to an additional 20 years of Vermont Yankee will determine the legacy we leave future Vermonters. Local resources and the power Vermont purchases from regional hydroelectric facilities can meet all of our traditional electricity needs, power100% of our transportation sector and still produce excess electricity. Vermont Yankee should be closed in 2012, and we should invest in an energy future that will protect our environment and promote a strong locally based economy.

June 10, 2009
PEW Center on the states Clean Energy Economy Report
Pew Center on the States report on America’s Clean Energy Economy: The number of jobs in America’s emerging clean energy economy grew nearly two and a half times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007, according to a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew developed a clear, data-driven definition of the clean energy economy and conducted the first-ever hard count across all 50 states of the actual jobs, companies and venture capital investments that supply the growing market demand for environmentally friendly products and services. Follow the link above for the full report, and state-by-state fact sheets that quantify and describe each state’s jobs, businesses and investments in the clean energy economy.

May 27, 2009
REV Statement on H.446 Becoming Law (pdf 95 kb)
Renewable Energy Vermont celebrates the enactment of the Energy Act of 2009, a bill that builds a solid economic framework for the accelerated deployment of small-scale renewable energy for the benefit of Vermonters, their environment and the Vermont economy. Andrew Perchlik, executive director of REV, said: “This law puts Vermont in a leadership role on renewable energy policy and will help to bring vibrant growth and development to our local renewable energy industry. If put into practice correctly, this law will spur the new local renewable energy that Vermonters have been demanding.”

January 26, 2009
REV’s Response to McClaughry Op-Ed (pdf 40 kb)
“I have respect for Mr. McClaughry’s intellect and his commitment, but his recent op-ed concerning the definition of renewable energy and Hydro Quebec (HQ), and the follow-up editorial by this paper, are guilty of promulgating a myth and needlessly disparaging Vermont’s efforts to promote local renewable energy and economic development.”

2008

May 1, 2008
Report: VT Climate Change and Hydro Generation (pdf 108 kb)
A report published by the Department of Meteorology at Lyndon State College and commissioned by the Vermont Independent Power Producers Association shows that hydroelectric generation in Vermont has increased slightly in the last decade, correlating with increased temperatures and precipitation in the state, and projects that the trend will continue.

November 29, 2007
REV Letter to Douglas Wind Commission (pdf 52 kb)
Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) wishes to express our appreciation diligent efforts as members of the Commission on Wind Energy Regulatory us that you developed a keen knowledge of the complex issues involved wind farms through the section 248 permitting process. The Commission’s draft recommendations are, in principle, productive section 248 permitting process and as thus, REV supports them.

October 4, 2007
REV Calls for Action (pdf 68 kb)
Pointing to a recent announcement by a major Spanish wind turbine manufacturer that it intends to establish an advanced-technology plant in Pennsylvania, Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) today called on Vermont’s political leaders to encourage appropriately sited utility-scale wind projects in the state.

March 11, 2007
Survey: ORC Macro Energy Poll (pdf 80 kb)
In a statewide poll conducted in March 2004, 400 Vermonters were asked to choose one energy source they would like to see more of in Vermont’s future. An overwhelming majority chose renewable energy sources (wind, solar, biomass or hydro-electric power) over nuclear, oil, coal and natural gas. These results were similar to a 2002 statewide poll, which asked the same question. There was a significant increase in the 2004 survey in the number of respondents who chose wind as the energy source.

March 6, 2007
REV’s Response to Hearing Officer’s Proposal for New Haven Windfarm (pdf 39 kb)
The Hearing Officer s Proposal for Decision ( PFD ) in this matter, if accepted by the Board, would deal an unprecedented blow to the development of wind energy in this State. The notion that the East Haven project may be the right project, but in the wrong place, PFD at 3, is not only a wrong conclusion, but sets forth a fundamental misconception of what a renewable energy project is or can be.

March 8, 2004
Here and There: Regarding The Wind (pdf 62 kb)
From Northern Woodlands magazine, an article by William Shutkin about the need for public engagement in wind farm development.

2003

December 23, 2003
REV Opinion on Connecticut Dam (pdf 21 kb)
REV believes it is imperative for the economic health of Vermont that we increase our reliance on low cost stable renewable energy, such as these hydro resources can provide.